Headlines for Wednesday, December 9, 2009
61-year-old Kathy Shaw of Albion was shaken up Tuesday night when she was hit by a car while crossing the street at First and Main in downtown Fairfield. Mrs. Shaw refused medical treatment at the scene. No tickets were issued. The driver of the car that struck Mrs. Shaw was 21-year-old Patrick A. Ewing of Fairfield. The accident happened at 5:20 Tuesday evening.
Scattered power outages were reported overnight as strong winds swept across the region in association with a departing low pressure system. A wind gust of 41 mph was recorded at the Fairfield airport around 3:45 this morning.
Fairfield Mayor Mickey Borah cast the tie-breaking vote Tuesday night to pass an ordinance that will allow the erection of a stop sign at the intersection of S.E. 2nd and E. King Street. No votes came from Aldermen Tucker, Wise, Simpson and Morlan.
With a unanimous vote, the Fairfield Council Tuesday night voted to ban parking on north side of the street in the 100 block of E. King Street.
The Fairfield City Council voted Tuesday night to spend $55,000 in Motor Fuel Tax Money as the City's share of the cost to replace the N.E. Fourth Street bridge over Johnson Creek. The project will cost an estimated $270,000 and will be completed next spring. The bridge is in such poor shape that school buses are banned from crossing the span.
William C. "Conner" Morlan, 45, of Rt. 2 Fairfield was arrested Monday afternoon by county sheriff's police on preliminary charges of aggravated drunk driving and driving while license revoked. Morlan (pictured at left) was lodged in the Wayne County Jail after being stopped by a deputy on a county road south of Kline's Corner. He remains in custody pending the filing of formal charges and setting of bond.
$8,000 in Motor Fuel Tax funds was appropriated by the Fairfield City Council Tuesday night to complete improvements to the 80,000 pound truck route that connects Ill. Rt. 15 to Enterprise Road. The latest expenditure will pay for improvements to the roadway from the Johnson Creek bridge south to Rt. 15, including a reduction in the size of the concrete island that separates Main and Delaware and the installation of curbs.
Headlines for Tuesday, December 8, 2009
The Albion City Council voted Monday night not to give muncipal employees a pay raise in 2010. The council did approve Christmas bonuses for city workers amounting to $150 for each full time employee and $75 for part time workers.
A $1,000 cash reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest in connection with the theft of a Fairbanks 208 oilfield motor from the Friend Oil Company of Fairfield. The motor is green with a yellow flywheel. Anyone with information about the theft is asked to phone the Wayne County Crimestoppers Hotline at 842-9777.
The late Dr. A.C. Tobey has been named the winner of the Distinguished Health Care Provider of the year award during the 10th anniversary of the Hamilton Memorial Hospital District's annual Foundation dinner. Dr. Tobey was instrumental in the success of a referendum that lead to the formation of the Hamilton Memorial Hospital District and the eventual construction of the hospital which was completed in 1960. The annual foundation dinner raised $54,000 in sponsorships and ticket sales. The money raised will be used to buy new hospital beds for the newly renovated rooms at the McLeansboro hospital. Pictured above left to right - A. C. Tobey, M.D., Lee Gene Tobey, and Deborah Treadway accepting the Hamilton Memorial Hospital District Foundation Distinguished Healthcare Provider of the Year Award on behalf of their father A.C. Tobey, M.D.
The Cisne High School Homecoming Coronation and Dance will take place this Saturday night in the Cisne High School Gym. Homecoming king and queen candidates are Rusty Rodgers, Dillon Lampley, Alan Wood, Hilliary Barnard, Kate Pond and Samantha Gill.
The Fairfield City Council meets tonight in regular session. Aldermen will consider putting up a stop sign at the corner of S.E. 2nd and King Street. The issue has been debated for the past two months. Some on the council don't want the stop sign, claiming there's a parking problem in the area that a stop sign won't fix.
Headlines for Monday, December 7, 2009
For the second year in a row, the Whooping Crane migration from Wisconsin to the Gulf Coast of Florida skipped Wayne County. Officials with Operation Migration said favorable winds and fair skies permitted the ultra-light escorted flock of 21 cranes to skip a scheduled stop in Wayne County as well as a stop in Union County Kentucky. The birds are now in Tennessee.
A support plane for the Whooping Crane migration made a forced landing in a field in southern White County Friday morning. The pilot and passenger, Donald and Paula Brooks of Ontario, Canada weren't hurt. Their single-engine Cessna 182 flipped onto its top as it touched down in a muddy field near Concord.
Jonathan E. Acord of Grayville has been sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to a felony charge of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Acord was sentenced in Edwards County Circuit Court in Albion.
Franklin County State's Attorney Tom Dinn says he will seek the death penalty against 19-year-old Ashton Ferris in connection with the October shooting deaths of 32-year-old Terri Seibeck and 28-year-old Kandis Majors. Ferris is being represented by local attorneys Jerry Crisel and Matt Vaughn.
Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel says November was the 7th warmest on record. The average temperature in the state last month was just under 47 degrees, which is about five degrees above normal.
The corn left in Illinois fields amounts to about 4% of the anticipated 12.9 billion-bushel harvest. Iowa State University economist Bruce Babcock says that's enough to affect the corn markets if it goes unharvested.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Winners have been announced in the Fairfield Kiwanis Club sponsored Christmas Parade. 1st Place wins $200 and 2nd place $100 in each category. In Antique and Collectible Vehicles, 1st place went to the Fairfield Fire Truck and 2nd place to Misfits Car Club for Larry Overbee's car. In the Business Category, 1st place went to Hometown IGA and 2nd place to Illinois Gymnastics Club of Fairfield. The Orchardville Church was 1st in the Church Category and 2nd place went to Zion United Methodist Church of West Salem. David Phelps was 1st in the Individual and General Entries and FCHS Homecoming Queen Shelby Gifford was 2nd. In the Animals Category, Mercedes Grote was 1st and Pam Estheimer 2nd. In the Youth and School Category, 1st place went to the Center Street Band Parents and 2nd to the Geff Grade School Flag Girls. In the Adult Organization Category, 1st place went to the Fairfield Retail Merchants and 2nd place to the Fairfield Lions Club. The Fairfield Rural Fire Department won the Grand Marshall's Choice. Center Street Band and the FCHS Show Choir each received $200 for appearing in the parade.
Here are the winners in the Santa's Stash Christmas Cash raffle conducted by Frontier Community College Foundation. Winning the Grand Prize of $1500 cash was Charlotte St. Ledger of Albion. Second prize of $500 was won by Lesa Marollo of Brunswick, Maine. Third prize of $100 goes to Newt Carter of Fairfield. The names were drawn live on the air during the broadcast of the Kiwanis Christmas Parade Saturday night in downtown Fairfield.
Winners have been announced in Saturday's Albion Christmas Parade. Winning the Business category was Rick's Ashland. In the Civic category, first place went to the Albion Moose. The First Presbyterian Church won the Church category. In the Adult General Entries category, first place went to Grimm Acres. In the Youth category, first place went to the Cub Scouts. The West Salem Grade School Band won the Band category, and the Best Overall winner was the entry from the First Presbyterian Church in Albion.
29-year-old Jonathan E. Acord of Grayville has been sentenced to three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to a charge of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon. He will also have to serve one year mandatory supervised release following his prison time. Judge David Frankland handed down the sentence in Edwards County Cirucit Court.
The University of Southern Indiana will host an informational reception for Illinois high school students, transfer students and parents interested in attending the university this Thursday, December 10th at the Windsor Oaks Inn near Grayville starting at 7 p.m. USI admission staff will offer information on the university's academic programs, scholarships for Illinois residents, the enrollment process, student housing and orientation. The reception, which is free, will run until 8:30 p.m. and refreshments will be served.
The latest numbers from the Illinois Department of Public Health show that as of this past Friday, there have been 2,187 hospitalizations from the H1N1 virus and 67 deaths recorded in Illinois. There were 186 hospitalizations and three deaths during the past week. The most hospitalizations and fatalites are in the age 25-49 group with 554 hospitalizations and 26 deaths. An Illinois Flu Hotline has been established to help answer questions about the H1N1 virus and seasonal influenza by calling (866) 848-2094.
Headlines for Saturday, December 5, 2009
Police in Flora will not pursue criminal charges against Brian Pennington, the owner of a pit bull that attacked and killed 85-year-old Rosie L. Humphreys on Monday. Mrs. Humphreys had been walking her two poodles, Timmy and Snuggles, when the 60-pound three-year-old pit bull knocked her to the ground and mauled her. An autopsy showed the victim bled to death and she was pronounced dead at the scene. The dog was described by investigators as a "family pet" that had not been trained to attack or fight. A metal "D" ring that held the dog's collar to a chain apparently failed, allowing the dog to get loose. One of Mrs. Humphrey's poodles also died in the attack. Pennington's pit bull was euthanized following the attack.
Fairfield car dealer Randy LeMond told WFIW News Friday that he expects his building at 412 East Main in Fairfield to be demolished on or around Tuesday, December 15th. The building formerly housed his Dodge-Chrysler dealership and was seriously damaged in a heavy snow and ice storm last winter. Randy said he plans to re-build in the same location or possibly at another site. Construction on a new building would not start until November of next year.
Illinois State Police District 19 Commander, Captain Richard Kinter, has announced the Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend enforcement figures. Troopers issued 403 citations, including 278 for speeding, 44 for not wearing a seat belt, and ten for child restraint violations. Three arrests were made for DUI and ten for other alcohol-related offenses. Troopers investigated 12 traffic crashes, none resulting from alcohol and none of which were fatal.
Illinois State Police District 19 at Carmi has released the results of Special Traffic Enforcement Patrols, or STEP, patrols, conducted in Wayne County on November 26th and 27th. Troopers made a total of 90 arrests and issued 35 speeding tickets and 11 seat belt tickets. One person was taken into custody on an outstanding warrant, and one person was cited for not having a valid drivers license.
Voters in Grover Township rejected a Permanent Road Tax for the township on Thursday. A proposed .167 percent Permanent Road Tax for the Grover Township was defeated by a vote of 58-50. The next Grover Township Meeting is set for January 7th at 6 p.m.
40-year-old Daniel O. Smith of Belle Rive has been sentenced to two years conditional discharge, fined $250 and ordered to perform 240 hours of community service after pleading guilty this week to a driving revoked charge. The charge was filed after Smith was pulled over on Route 15 near the regional landfill on November 27th of last year.
The Fairfield Kiwanis Clubs Christmas Parade will be held tonight starting at 5 p.m. There will be 65 individual units in this year's parade. Serving as Grand Marshals will be Harlan and Wilma Yates. Members of the FCHS Student Council will be collecting canned goods along the parade route to be donated to the local WADI food pantry.
Headlines for Friday, December 4, 2009
Police in Flora will not pursue criminal charges against Brian Pennington, the owner of a pit bull that attacked and killed 85-year-old Rosie L. Humphreys last Monday. Mrs. Humphreys (pictured left) had been walking her two poodles, Timmy and Snuggles, when the 60-pound three-year-old pit bull knocked her to the ground and mauled her. An autopsy revealed the victim bled to death and was pronounced dead at the scene. The dog was descibed by investigators as a "family pet" that had not been trained to attack or fight. A metal "D" ring that held the dog's collar to a chain apparently failed, allowing the dog to get loose. One of Mrs. Humphrey's poodles also died in the attack. Pennington's pit bull was euthanized following the attack.
40-year-old Daniel O. Smith of Belle Rive has pled guilty to a class 4 felony charge of driving revoked, and has been sentenced in Wayne County Circuit Court. Smith was sentenced to two years conditional discharge, fined $250 and ordered to perform 240 hours of community service. The charge was filed November 27, 2008 after Smith was pulled over on Route 15 near the regional landfill.
Illinois State Police District 19 Commander, Captain Richard Kinter, has released the results of an Alcohol Countermeasure Enforcment Patrol conducted in Wayne County November 14th and 15th. Troopers arrested one person for DUI, two people for other drug and alcohol-related offenses, issued one speeding ticket, two insurance violations tickets, and cited one person for a drivers license offense and one person for an equipment offense. No criminal arrests were made during the patrol. Captain Kinter also released the results of an Occupant Restraint Enforcement Patrol
conducted during November in Wayne, Hamilton, Wabash and Saline counties. Troopers issued 82 citations, including 59 for seat-belt and child restraint violations.
Volunteers for a Progressive Fairfield will conduct the grand opening of their annual Festival of Lights at Leo French Park tonight. While there is no charge to view the display, volunteers will be on hand to accept donations to defray the cost of the annual event. Albion’s Mark Curtis will be there from 5 until 9 this evening offering horse drawn carriage rides around the display.
Peoples National Bank has been recognized as one of the state’s top home lenders. The bank utilizes guaranteed home loans to make home purchases more affordable in rural Illinois. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Agency announced the honor. This year, Peoples National Bank issued $7.6 million in Rural Development backed home loans.
Pictured above: back row from left to right: Albert Malekovic, Mortgage Specialist; Donna Redmon, Loan Operations; Joy Schroeder, Mortgage Specialist; Guy Holtkamp, Head of Retail. Front Row from left to right: Abby Buchanan, Rural Development Office; Rusty Wanstreet, Rural Development Office; Bill Bonan, President of Peoples National Bank; Hunt Bonan, Board of Directors for Peoples National Bank; Forrest Langenfeld, CEO of Peoples National Bank; and Kim Swisher, Rural Development Office.
The annual Fairfield Kiwanis Club Christmas Parade is Saturday night. The parade will step off at 5 p.m. Lineup will be at North Side School.
Members of the Fairfield Community High School Student Council will be collecting canned goods along the parade route. These donations will be given to the local WADI Food Pantry.
Fairfield Rotarians heard about Frontier Community College's GED and Adult Education classes at their noon luncheon meeting Thursday. The speaker was Carrie Dagg who is in charge of this department. GED/Adult Basic Ed classes are offered free of charge and prepare students to take the GED exam. Rotarian Jervaise McGlone arranged Thursday's program. Pictured are Jervaise McGlone (left) and Carrie Dagg.
A group of 21 young Whooping Cranes, accompanied by their human guides in ultralight aircraft, stopped briefly in Wayne County around 9:00 this morning, before continuing on their journey to the south. Operation Migration travels this path each year in an effort to imprint the migratory route on the young birds and increase the Whooping Crane population in the wild.
The Wayne County Health Department will conduct another Swine Flu clinic Saturday morning at the New Beginnings Church on the east edge of Fairfield The clinic will run from 9 until noon. Call the Health Department if you have questions.
The annual Cisne High School homecoming coronation and dance is Saturday night, December 12th, starting at 7 p.m. The annual dance will run from 8 – 10 p.m.
Headlines for Thursday, December 3, 2009
The Wayne County Health Department will be conducting the first of four H1N1 Flu Clinics this Saturday morning at New Beginnings Church at the east edge of Fairfield from 9 a.m. til noon. The second dose of the vaccine will be available for children who received the first dose on or before November 7th. Other H1N1 Flu Clinics will be held December 9th at the Wayne City Community Building, December 12th at the New Beginnings Church, and December 16th at the Cisne Community Building.
The second half of the Illinois Firearm Deer Season opens today and runs through Sunday. During the first half of the season, hunters across Illinois harvested over 66,000 whitetail deer, down sharply from just under 72,000 deer from the first half of last season. Officials with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources blamed standing corn in many fields with the late harvest for the lower deer harvest numbers.
43-year-old Tina R. West of Fairfield was jailed Tuesday following a vehicle crash north of Sims around 9:20 p.m. West was charged with driving under the influence and possession of a controlled substance. While West was being transported to the Wayne County Jail, officers found a pipe and possible cannabis in the ashtray of her vehicle. The pipe field-tested positive for methamphetamine.
Illinois State Police District 19 Commander, Captain Richard Kinter, has announced his department's DUI and alcohol-related enforcement activity for the week of November 23rd through 29th. In Wabash County, 34-year-old Brandon W. Weir of Mount Carmel was arrested for DUI. In Saline County, 31-year-old Christopher S. Woods of Galatia and 26-year-old Douglas T. Osman of Nashville, TN were arrested for DUI. Captain Kinter also announced that District 19 troopers will be conducting a Driving Under the Influence Enforcement patrol in Saline County during the month of December.
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has signed a bill that will allow the state to tap into federal construction funds for roads, bridges and schools. The law allows the state to issue federal stimulus supported Build America Bonds and Qualified School Construction Bonds. Quinn says under the school construction bond program, the money can be used for construction, repairs and to buy land. He expects the state to issue up to $488 million in the bonds by the end of the first quarter of 2010.
Some farmers in Illinois are still trying to get corn out of the ground, making this year's harvest one of the latest in the state. Despite a mild and fairly dry November, over a quarter of the corn crop is reported to still be in the field. The latest crop report puts the corn harvest at 72 percent complete and beans at 96 percent.
The Fairfield Community High School Personal Development and C.I.V.I.C.S. classes will be collecting toys for the Christmas for Kids Program at the high school through December 16th. A shopping cart will be set up in front of the high school's District Office for donations between 8 and 8:10 a.m.
Headlines for Wednesday, December 2, 2009
43-year-old Tina R. West of Fairfield was jailed Tuesday by officers of the Wayne County Sheriff's Department. West's arrest came following a traffic crash north of Sims around 9:20 Tuesday night. West faces preliminary charges of driving under the influence and possession of a controlled substance. West (pictured at left) will remain in the Wayne County Jail pending the filing of formal charges and setting of bond.
22-year-old William M. Weccele Jr. of Fairfield was lodged in the Wayne County Jail Tuesday afternoon on a failure to appear warrant charging him with unlawful consumption of alcohol by a minor. He was released after posting $500 cash bond pending a court appearance.
A drug sweep of the Edwards County K-12 school in Albion was conducted Tuesday. Edwards County Sheriff Darby Boewe reports no contraband was found during the sweep, which involved K-9 teams from the Illinois State Police and neighboring law enforcement agencies.
A judge in Nashville, TN has ruled that a crucial piece of evidence in the case of accused serial killer Bruce Mendenhall of Albion will be allowed during his solicitation to commit murder trial. Published reports out of Nashville, TN indicated a taped interview with Nashville Police Detective Pat Postiglione just hours after Mendenhall's arrest in 2007 in Nashville will be allowed in court. Mendenhall (pictured left) faces trial on five counts of solicitation for murder for allegedly trying to hire two fellow inmates at the Nashville Criminal Justice Center to kill two detectives and three witnesses expected to testify at his upcoming murder trial. His trial date is set for January 11, 2010.
Illinois State Police District 19 commander, Captain Richard Kinter, has announced that troopers will be participating in Occupant Restraint Enforcement Patrols in Wayne, Hamilton and Saline counties during December. Troopers will target an area with saturation patrols that focus on traffic violations and related compliance with seat belt and child safety laws. Troopers will also be conducting Alcohol Countermeasure Enforcement, or ACE, patrols in Wayne County during December.
85-year-old Rosie L. Humphries of Flora died Monday as the result of injuries sustained in a dog attack. Humphries was walking her dog when she was attacked by a pit bull. Humphries' dog also died in the attack. Charges could be filed against the owner of the pit bull, which was later euthanized.
Edwards County Treasurer Cindy Hocking's office is preparing for the annual tax sale, set for next Wednesday, December 9th at 9 a.m. Hocking says 98 percent of the original $4.4 million real estate tax extension has been collected so far. Delinquent taxpayers have until Tuesday, December 8th to avoid the tax sale. The tax sale will be held in the Courtroom of the Edwards County Courthouse in Albion.
A suspect charged with killing two people in West Frankfort says he's innocent. Michael Shallert entered the not guilty plea Monday during a hearing in Franklin County. A detective testified during the hearing that Shallert had left a note apologizing before he killed Kandis Majors and Terrie Siebeck. Shallert and his girlfriend then stole one of the victim's car and credit cards before heading to Colorado, where they were captured a few days later. Shallert is due back in court in January.